Things You Should Know About Antifreeze & Additives
What Is Antifreeze & Additives?
You have heard it so many times, antifreeze is an important component of
your vehicle. But have you wondered how does antifreeze work? and how exactly
does it help your vehicle? Well, we have simplified it all for you here. Read
along, or skim through the headlines to find out more about what you’re looking
for.
For starters, the antifreeze is basically an additive that helps lower
the freezing point of a liquid that is water-based. It also increases the
boiling point. A mixture of antifreeze is used in order to achieve
freezing-point depression, this is essentially needed in countries where it is
very cold. This mixture also achieves “anti-boil” or boiling-point elevation,
to provide higher coolant temperature. Every solution has certain properties,
the freezing and boiling points are colligative, they are dependent on the
level of concentration of the substance that is dissolved.
Water is known to be great as a coolant naturally, and hence it is used
along with antifreeze in internal combustion engines. It is also used in other
applications requiring heat transfer such as HVAC chillers, as well as solar
powered water heaters. The main task of antifreeze is to stop a rigid enclosure
from bursting because of expansion when the water freezes. You may find that
sometimes both the pure concentrate as well as the mixture are referred to as
antifreeze. This is usually found on a commercial ground; the additive is the
pure concentrate and the mixture is the diluted solution. Knowing about
antifreeze, and having the basic knowledge will help you in purchasing the
perfect one for your vehicle. A good antifreeze will possess a wide temperature
range, wherein it will be able to have the mixture stays in the liquid phase
for long. This is important because it will improve the efficiency of heat
transfer and allow good functioning of the heat exchangers.
You may wonder why salt solutions aren’t used for cooling systems, even though salt is largely used for de-icing. This is because salt can cause high corrosion to metals, which will in turn negatively impact your vehicles parts. Which is why non-corrosive antifreezes are used more for extensive de-icing, like in the case for aircraft wings.
Types Of Antifreeze & Additives
Here are the different coolant types or antifreeze types. The difference
between each is mainly the antifreeze chemical formula. Read below more about
each of them and understand how they perform their tasks:
- Mainstream Green Coolant - However, compared to OAT and NOAT
coolant formulations, the IAT coolants do require the frequent addition of SCA
at an interval of 25,000 miles, or as specified by the engine manufacturer. You
may be familiar with the conventional low-silicate antifreeze, these are
green-dyed antifreeze/coolants. The technical name for these is IAT (Inorganic
Acid Technology). For cars and light-duty trucks it was common to start with a
low silicate-based product coolant design. This required dilution with water,
and a step called ‘pre-charge’ wherein specific amounts of supplemental coolant
additives (SCAs) are added to keep the heavy-duty engine cylinder liners, safe
from destructive pitting corrosion. What you typically find the market today
are coolant that have already been pre-charged with the SCAs. This helps
protect the vehicles engine cooling system from corrosion and other problems.
It also protects the cooling system against freezing, boil over, liner pitting
and cavitation. If you were to compare the OAT & NOAT coolant formulations,
you will notice that the IAT will require frequent addition of SCA, usually at
an interval of 25k miles, or as directed by the manufacturer of engine.
- Hybrid Organic Acid Technology - The HOAT or Hybrid Organic Acid
Technology (HOAT) is a combination of few inhibitors used in inorganic IAT and
organic OAT coolants. This is based on a low-silicate as well as low nitrite
technology. However, unlike the OAT and NOAT the ELC (Extended Life Coolants),
and HOAT coolants require SCA to be added back into the system after the first
maintenance interval. This is the same feature as seen in the IAT coolants.
Either at 25k miles or as specified by the manufacturer the SCA has to be
added. You will find that the HOAT coolants are dyed yellow or orange. The
formulation of it is not compatible with the extended interval coolant
formulation of either of the two NOAT or OAT coolants. And hence they should
never be mixed with the HOAT coolant.
- Nitrated Organic Acid Technology - To understand the NOAT (Nitrated
Organic Acid Technology) coolants/antifreeze we first need to understand the
features of the Extended Life Coolant (ELC). The ELC doesn’t have a supplement
requirement until the vehicle has been driven for 300,000 miles or 6000 engine
hours or 12000 engine hours of service life. This supplement is also referred to
as an extender. Organic acids (organic additive technology) is used in the ELC
coolants, and nitrite and/or molybdenum is part of their inhibitor package.
This is referred to as Nitrated Organic Acid Technology (NOAT)
antifreeze/coolants.
- Organic Acid Technology - To put it in the simplest terms, the
Organic Acid Technology (OAT) has zero nitrite added to it. This type of
coolant is able to provide 600,000 miles or 12,000 engine hours of service
life. However, the performance life of them reduces majorly if it gets
contaminated with coolants containing nitrite.
- Color Keys - The antifreeze colour we see in the different antifreeze/coolant is
basically dye. This is added by the manufacturers to be able to differentiate
between each other. In reality both water and antifreeze/coolant have no
colour. This also helps to differentiate between other fluids that are used
under the hood and also to know if there’s a coolant leak, especially in the
case of heavy-duty engines. The colours have grown also because of the number
of formulations of antifreeze/coolants have increased rampantly.
Important Features Of Antifreeze & Additives
Here are some features to look out for when buying antifreeze for your
vehicle:
- It shouldn’t allow freezing and boiling
- Should help to lubricate the water pump seal
- Should have properties that help prevent corrosion
How Do Antifreeze & Additives Work?
Additives are used in the cooling system; they work by simply
transferring the heat better through the car radiator. They can be used either
with water alone or by adding to the antifreeze/water mix. They also perform their job by bringing down
the surface tension of the mixture of the cooling system. This in turn promotes
thermal conductivity or transfer of heat by penetrating into the heat-prone
metal surfaces. Metal wetting is the name for this process, and it is aided by
an anti-foaming agent too. Water can be run through any of these products and no
damage will occur as all of them possess a corrosion inhibitor, which is
responsible for stabilising the mixture’s pH level. Hence, one doesn’t need to
worry about any rust, electrolysis or deposits to be collected as the negative
acidic effects are balanced.
Frequent Problems With Antifreeze & Additives
You may come across a variety of issues with a faulty anti-freeze, we
have listed out the top 5 for you below:
- Old Engine Coolant Syndrome - Cars need to be regularly checked and
the anti-freeze or coolant has to be changed regularly. Coolants tend to get
acidic over time, they don’t deteriorate or require change on a monthly basis
either. However, over a period of time the acidity within the coolant can cause
it to lose its anti-corrosive, or rust-inhibiting properties, which will in
turn result in damaging the radiator, water pump, radiator cap, and radiator
hoses of your vehicle. This type of corrosion may also end up damaging other
parts of your cars cooling system. To be safe, it’s important to check your
engine coolant every 50,000 miles, and never ignore any traces of rust or
corrosion and keep your car safe.
- Thermostat Gone Bad - The thermostat of your vehicle is
located on top of the engine; it’s presents near the radiator hose. If the
engine temperature reaches normal operating temperature, the job of the
thermostat begins. It simply open and allows the coolant/anti-freeze to flow in
from the radiator to the engine of your vehicle. A non-functional thermostat
will not open at the right time, and hence prevent the coolant from doing its
job too. If it’s stuck closed, the car will overheat, as the coolant never got
the chance to flow to the engine. Remember to check your thermostat when you’re
able to note that the temperature gauge on your vehicle dashboard has moved
into the red zone. This is a sign that you need to perform some basic
thermostat checks, fixing the thermostat will be the cheapest thing you can do
to save your car.
- Worn Radiator Hose - Possibly the most common cause of cooling system
problems is a worn-out radiator hose. majority of the cars possess two radiator
hoses, the upper radiator hose runs from the top of the radiator going all the
way to the top of the engine, while the lower radiator hose runs from the
bottom to the ware pump. The job of the radiator hoses is to transport the
coolant to the radiator so that it can cool and then bring it back to the
engine. This back and forth of the coolant via the hoses are needed for the
engine to not get too cold as well as not overheat. Basically, it helps in
maintaining the optimum temperature. The radiator hoses aren’t weak, they are
tough and designed to withstand high heat as well as pressure, however with
time they can crack or even soften. Replacing them becomes important in such
cases, and even though it may sound like a big task it’s not that time
consuming.
- Radiator Leak and Cracks - If you have found out that there’s a crack in the radiator, you may have to figure out what caused in the first place. This will help solve the problem and also ensure better care for the future. A dirty radiator in general can cause overheating in the engine, this happens when the dirty coolant loads up the radiator with sediment.
- Water Pump Failure - This is a serious issue and in the event of water pump failure, it’s not right to drive even one mile. It plays a very important role in the cooling system, and if it stops working then your vehicle is at risk of a full engine failure. You will typically receive some warning when the water pump is facing issues, like a grinding or growling sound. Even overheating is a symptom of water pump problem. Smoke coming out of the hood is a sign that you ignored the symptoms for way too long.
The cracks in the radiator may happen due to the following reasons:
- Cold
- Rust
- Faulty thermostat
- Heat
- Road debris
- leaking head gasket
As you may understand a crack in the radiator will lead to the leak of the engine coolant. In such a case you may be able to see a puddle underneath your vehicle which will not be transparent, or the car will be hot. Depending on the complexity of the damage of the radiator, you may not be able to pinpoint the leak. In this case you will need a thorough inspection of the radiator including its bottom side and the radiator seams.
A radiator flush can sometimes solve the problems with the cracked
radiators, you may not always require a full replacement. Sealing the radiator
with the right product also helps.
Symptoms Of Bad Antifreeze & Additives
If you have been suspecting a coolant leak, it’s time to check for some
symptoms. We have listed them down for reference:
- Visible Coolant Leak - Coolant smell or puddle of coolant on
the ground is a serious sign of coolant leak. This warrants an immediate check
and repair, to avoid engine damage. The colours to look for are; red, pink,
green, or blue. These may even be noticed inside your vehicle, also observe any
signs of residue on any of the cooling system parts.
- Overheating Engine - When coolant is leaking in your vehicle, air will take
its place. The boiling point will lower as air is compressible and this will
lead to some coolant flashing into steam. The excess heat will get trapped as
air and steam are both great insulators, the temperature gauge in such a case
should move toward the red shine. Depending on your vehicle you may
alternatively see a temperature warning light, in this case you could be almost
certain that there’s a coolant leak even though you’re not able to see any
visible leak.
- White Smoke - Any white smoke emitted from the exhaust in spite of warming up the
vehicle is indicative of an internal engine leak. There may also be a cracked
block or cylinder or failure of head gasket. During high pressure coolant may
get pushed into the cylinder and steam up every time the cylinder is fired.
- Bubbling Radiator - If combustion gasses are being forced into the
cooling system, there will be bubbles in the radiator or in the coolant
overflow tank. This is a sure sign of coolant leakage and could be caused due
to cracks present in the endine, head or even head gasket.
Tools Needed For Antifreeze & Additives
Are you thinking of repairing your Antifreeze & Additives on your
own? Then there is one thing which you must have, that is the right tools
needed for repairing your Antifreeze & Additives It is essential to make
sure that you are outfitted with the right tools to get the work done properly.
Have a look at some tools which you might need to get started with your repair work:
-
- Pliers
- 50-50 Antifreeze Coolant
- The vehicle specific service repair manual
Top Brands For Antifreeze & Additives
When it comes to vehicle owner’s choice, the brands really matter a lot.
You might pay a premium for a specific car part brand, over time, as it has
created a perception of quality, stability as well as trust. There are some
leading car parts brands which are more than just products or services as they
give rise to memories and emotions related with the quality. So have a look at
some top brands for Antifreeze & Additives
Related Parts Of Antifreeze & Additives
It is very important to arm yourself with information before you shop
any auto part. We are here to help you dive deep into the names of the
Antifreeze & Additives related parts.
Total Costs & Repair Times, Effort For Antifreeze & Additives
Antifreeze & Additives replacement cost can differ wildly depending
on application, the brand of the Antifreeze & Additives as well as who does
the work. All you have to do is to replace your faulty Antifreeze &
Additives with us online and then you can leave your car to the mechanic and
pick it up a few days later. Just be sure that the car mechanic is highly
skilled and has a good reputation. Sometimes the additional service level might
cost you more than what you have expected. We also recommend you to take
pictures of your car before you leave it with them so that you are sure that
later on it is returned back to you in an unharmed condition. Depending on
where you go, and what the issue is for the antifreeze leak, it could cost you
around $122.
How To Change Antifreeze & Additives?
Go through these quick easy steps to change your
vehicles antifreeze:
Step 1 - Antifreeze car Safety Precautions
Take all the safety precautions needed to prevent any accident due to repairs. Keep pets and children away. Be cautious and avoid spilling coolant. Don’t start repairs until the engine is cool, simply turning it off is not right.
Step 2 - How to drain antifreeze/ How to drain coolant
Get hold of your drain plan and place it under
the radiator petcock drain valve. With your hands or pliers remove the
petcock drain valve. Be observant of the anti-freeze
exiting the recovery tank and the cooling
system as it enters the drain pan.
Step 3 - How to Change engine coolant - Remove Engine Plugs
The pressure cap on the radiator will have to be removed first, and allow the coolant to leave the radiator. Using a wrench remove the engine black drain plugs and let the antifreeze flow from the engine to the pan. Ensure that all the coolant has drained out from both the coolant recovery tank as well as the radiator.
Step 4 - How to add antifreeze to car - Refilling Cooling System
First refer to the service manual for your
vehicle and figure out the amount of antifreeze needed for your car. Reinstall
the engine black drain plus and the petcock. pour the 50-50 mixture of
antifreeze and water, do this slowly. Use a funner for this and pour into the
radiator filler neck.
Step 5 - Changing coolant - Start the Engine
Now you’re set to start the engine, but keep it
idle for a few minutes. Once it starts to heat up without the radiator cap you
can turn on the car’s heater to the high/hot position. Peek into the radiator
to see if the coolant is circulant, this is a sign of the thermostat is open.
Now install the radiator cap and check if the coolant recovery tank is full,
now test the protection level of the coolant.
